What Is ProcessorCactus Mac
ProcessorCactus the type of software that has been created with the main idea to appear helpful for your Mac, but in reality may show a lot of different advertisements that are monetized for profit. These ads may not only slow your Mac down, but may also lead to dangerous websites, like scams or malware ones. This is the main reason why such a program is classified as potentially unwanted and indirectly unsafe and should be removed from your Mac.
Read this article if you want to understand more about how the software works and how you can clean up your web browsers and your Mac from it.
ProcessorCactus Mac – Details
| Name | ProcessorCactus |
| Type | Adware / PUP / Redirect for Mac |
| Short Description | Aims to modify the settings on your computer in order to get it to cause browser redirects and display different advertisements. |
| Symptoms | Your device begins to display various types of online advertisements, which results in slowing down of your machine. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your Mac Has Been Affected by ProcessorCactus
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss ProcessorCactus. |
ProcessorCactus Virus – How Did I Get Infected
ProcessorCactus is the kind of application that shares the same code with some other apps that belong to the same family of adware. This family is known as the Adload and the apps in it are classified as PUPs.
ProcessorCactus likely shares the same code with other applications of this family, like the recently detected following ones:
One of the ways these apps get inside your computer is very likely via software bundling. This means that the application could be included in one of the installation steps of some other app that you could’ve recently download it, like shown in the example image below:
Another way these programs can end up on your device is very likely via Bing download it in the form of a fake Adobe Flash Player update from webpages that are fake, like the example below shows:
ProcessorCactus Mac – What Does It Do?
Once add it to your Mac, the ProcessorCactus software may begin to show a lot of different kinds of advertisements, like the following types:
- Changed search results to show ads instead of relevant sites.
- Highlighted text on the pages you visit.
- Redirects.
- Pop-ups with video and/or sound.
- Interruptive banner ads.
- Intrusive push notifications.
This may only happen after this program adds browser extensions or plug-ins to your browser or change the different kinds of settings to it. It can also use different types of cookies, pixels, tags and other tracking technologies:
These trackers are mainly utilized to get information about your online browsing activities, such as the following details:
- Your bookmarked websites.
- The browsing history from your browser.
- What you have visited.
- Your mouse movements.
- IP and Mac addresses.
- What searches you have made.
- Your mouse clicks.
Is ProcessorCactus a Virus?
No, ProcessorCactus is not a virus. However, this program may be related to multiple kinds of third-party advertisements that it could show on your device, which may in turn leads to dangerous websites, like the following:
- Survey sites that are fraud.
- Phishing pages.
- Rogue software download sites.
- Tech support fraud pages.
- URLs, containing a virus infection file or script.
- Web pages that contain scams.
- Redirects to dangerous sites via multiple pay-per-click redirects.
These are the main reasons why this program is classified as unsafe and should be removed from your Mac as soon as possible.
How to Remove ProcessorCactus from Mac?
ProcessorCactus can successfully ability to delete it from your Mac if you follow the removal instructions beneath this post. They have been created with the main idea to help you get rid of this threat from your web browsers and your macOS as well. If you want a removal that has a maximum effectiveness, our main suggestion is using a professional anti-malware program. Such a software has the capability of thoroughly scanning your Mac and get rid of any trackers, adware and malware files and objects
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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Steps to Prepare Before Removal:
Before starting to follow the steps below, be advised that you should first do the following preparations:
- Backup your files in case the worst happens.
- Make sure to have a device with these instructions on standy.
- Arm yourself with patience.
- 1. Scan for Mac Malware
- 2. Uninstall Risky Apps
- 3. Clean Your Browsers
Step 1: Scan for and remove ProcessorCactus files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as ProcessorCactus, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Quick and Easy Mac Malware Video Removal Guide
Bonus Step: How to Make Your Mac Run Faster?
Mac machines maintain probably the fastest operating system out there. Still, Macs do become slow and sluggish sometimes. The video guide below examines all of the possible problems that may lead to your Mac being slower than usual as well as all of the steps that can help you to speed up your Mac.
Step 2: Uninstall ProcessorCactus and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to ProcessorCactus:
4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to ProcessorCactus. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.
6. Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to ProcessorCactus. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7. Remove any leftover files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove ProcessorCactus via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
1. Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2. Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3. Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as ProcessorCactus. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3: Remove ProcessorCactus – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
ProcessorCactus-FAQ
What is ProcessorCactus on your Mac?
The ProcessorCactus threat is probably a potentially unwanted app. There is also a chance it could be related to Mac malware. If so, such apps tend to slow your Mac down significantly and display advertisements. They could also use cookies and other trackers to obtain browsing information from the installed web browsers on your Mac.
Can Macs Get Viruses?
Yes. As much as any other device, Apple computers do get malware. Apple devices may not be a frequent target by malware authors, but rest assured that almost all of the Apple devices can become infected with a threat.
What Types of Mac Threats Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the types of threats that can currently infect your Mac can be rogue antivirus programs, adware or hijackers (PUPs), Trojan horses, ransomware and crypto-miner malware.
What To Do If I Have a Mac Virus, Like ProcessorCactus?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most Mac threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them. One recommended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you.
There are many Mac anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter for Mac is one of the reccomended Mac anti-malware apps, that can scan for free and detect any viruses. This saves time for manual removal that you would otherwise have to do.
How to Secure My Data from ProcessorCactus?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these reccomendations, your network and Apple devices will become significantly more safe against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
More tips you can find on our MacOS Virus section, where you can also ask any questions and comment about your Mac problems.
About the ProcessorCactus Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this ProcessorCactus how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific macOS issue.
How did we conduct the research on ProcessorCactus?
Please note that our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware definitions, including the various types of Mac threats, especially adware and potentially unwanted apps (PUAs).
Furthermore, the research behind the ProcessorCactus threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by Mac malware, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.